28 Highest Paying Side Hustle Ideas For Students

Do you know that taking a legit side hustle as a student is one of the great ways to graduate from college debt-free?

Even if you’re using scholarships, or savings to pay for tuition, there is value in starting a college side hustle and earn an extra income.

Somehow you like the idea of getting a side hustle but you really don’t know how to get started. No worries, we have great ideas that will benefit you.

In this article, you will learn how you can better your skillset and also earn a little extra cash with a side hustle even while you quarantine in this COVID-19 period.

Taking a side hustle as a college student allows you to explore your passions.

Most of these jobs are freelance-based, so they’re easier to commit to since you can set your own hours and work from anywhere, fitting in before, after, or between classes.

Take advantage of this rare opportunity and start up something.

Why Side Hustle for College Students?
How Do I Start Side Hustle?
What Are The Top 30 Side Hustle Ideas For College Students?
Challenges of Side Hustles for College Students
FAQs- Side Hustle Ideas for Students
Conclusion- Side Hustle Ideas for Students
References- Side Hustle Ideas for Students
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Why Side Hustle for College Students?

A side hustle is a short-term work you can do in your spare time. You can work at night, over the weekend, and even in the comfort of your home.

Working a side hustle is basically turning your interests, talents, and skills into potential sources of income.

A side hustle is flexible, you are in control of your schedule; determine when and for how long you’ll work that is why it is perfect for students.

How Do I Start Side Hustle?

Starting a side hustle in today’s world is not much of a challenge, as technological advancement has taken care of many things. You don’t necessarily need to jump from one interview for another or tie yourself to one gig.

To get started on a good note, first, identify the skills that can translate into a side gig, ask yourself questions like, What am I good at? Is there anything I can do that allows me to get paid going about my day-to-day routine?

Next, find a good platform connecting you to your potential clients or audience.

Once you’re able to fix that, you’re essentially on the path to becoming your own boss.

Check this out: 10 Ways To Create Passive Income with No Money | Students’ Guide

What Are The Top 30 Side Hustle Ideas For College Students?

There are more than a thousand creative side hustle ideas for college students. Instead of being a starving college student living on borrowed money, take advantage of the following flexible side hustles to put an actual plate of dinner on the table.

Photography
Freelance Writing
Cover Letter/Resume Service:
Housesitting
Painting Service
Makeup Artist
Food Delivery
Tutoring
Lawn and Gardening Services
Houses or Offices Cleaner
Fitness/Personal Trainer
Review apps and websites
Babysitting/Childcare
Become a translator
Sell old textbooks
Drive service
Moving Advertisement
Shovel Snow During the Winter
Search Engine Marketing
Pool Cleaning Service
Graphic design
Car Wash
Podcasting
YouTube Video Blogger
Virtual Assistant
Interior Decorator
Become A DJ
Laundry Service

#1 Photography

Photography is a great side hustle idea for students. It is the art, application, and practice of light with a camera, usually via a digital sensor or film, to create an image.

If you’ve got an eye and some decent equipment, you can turn your hobby into some extra cash.

To start taking pictures, all you need is a camera, which can be anything from a basic smartphone to an advanced DSLR or a mirrorless camera.

Nevertheless, photography equipment is not all that important – light, subject, emotion, and composition are all critical elements of a successful photograph.

#2 Freelance Writing

Another excellent side hustle idea is Freelance writing. This is the practice of writing for money while working alone and not being employed by a company or organization.

As a freelance writer, you produce whatever written text is needed by your clients, either working from home or in a rented office space.

You can start by registering with services like Fiverr and Upwork; They can connect you with companies that need part-time and per-project freelance writers.

#3 Cover Letter/Resume Service:

With the high rate of job turnover and lots of people needing jobs, people request for experts to get them a decent resume or cover letter. Rendering cover Letter/resume service will allow you make a lot of money by helping other people improve their odds.

#4 Housesitting

Housesitting is one of the most accessible side hustle ideas for students. It is the act of staying in someone’s house while they are away in order to keep it safe.

Most house-sitting jobs will demand you taking care of a pet; although it comes with additional pay, it does take time out of your life- You’re committing your time to ensure the pets are well fed. You can start by connecting with online services such as Care.com make.

#5 Painting Service

Painting service is another good side hustle for college students. You can schedule time on weekends and during the summer to paint houses or join a painting company. It can pay well if you have the proper connection.

#6 Makeup Artist

Another legit side hustles for college students is rendering makeup services. If you are skilled and can deliver a quality service, you can do makeup for weddings and make about $300 to $400 per service.

#7 Food Delivery

Food delivery is another legit side hustle idea one can adopt. You simply register with any eatery or restaurant then deliver food. Clients that need these services are within the campus. All you do is wait for an order to come in, pick up said order from the restaurant, and deliver.

#8 Tutoring

For those talented in math, chemistry, French, or another subject that tends to stump others. Tutoring will make the best side hustle for you as a college student.

If you have true knowledge of a subject in demand, you will earn big bucks for tutoring services because parents are willing to pay.

Check out; 10 Online Tutoring Jobs for College Students

#9 Lawn and Gardening Services

This service is a great side hustle idea for students who enjoy spending time outdoors. You may have to invest in a weed whacker and mower to get started. You don’t need to worry because your investments will pay off quickly.

After acquiring the working tools, advertise to local homeowners, and you’ll likely find that they’re much more willing to pay a college student than one of those large landscaping companies.

#10 Houses and/or Offices Cleaner

If you can handle dust and grime, then cleaning homes and offices can prove to be a good side hustle. Dozens of businesses, families with busy parents, or the elderly need cleaners to take care of their surroundings.

You don’t necessarily need to register with a cleaning or waste management agency, you can advertise yourself and work alone so as to choose your own rate either per hour or per room.

#11 Fitness/Personal Trainer

This is a very lucrative and legit side hustle for college students. You can offer an average of 45 minutes sessions.

Also, people need an expert to guide them every step of the way in exercise prescription and instruction. You can motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to them.

To get started, advertise at local gyms and music stores, community websites, and schools, then choose your hours and rates.

#12 Review apps and websites

As a college student, you can get paid to write app reviews and participate in focus groups through sites like Apperwall and UserTesting.com.

#13 Babysitting/Childcare

Babysitting is a good side hustle idea for students that love kids. Parents need people who can take care of their kids while they are away for their business.

This kind of service will require a background check and first aid certification before you can work. Find babysitting jobs via sites and apps such as Bubble, UrbanSitter, and SitterCity.

#14. Become a translator

If you understand and can speak another language fluently, you can use your skill to earn some cash. You can work anywhere. Translation services typically require you to pass a test before getting matched to or approved for a job.

You can connect with potential clients through UpWork, Translators Café, and Gengo.

#15. Sell old textbooks

This is a common side hustle that pays. You turn your old books into cash by selling via online providers.

You can utilize platforms like TextBookRush, Chegg, BookScouter, and Cash4Books. To get started, you register, enter the book’s ISBN, get a price quote, sell it, and ship it using free shipping labels from the vendors.

#16. Drive service

Offering Drive service will make a great side hustle if you’re fortunate enough to own a car. You are in control of your schedule; As a driver, you’d pick up passengers anytime you can- it could be in between classes, on the weekend, or only on certain days.

Popular companies like Uber and Lyft offer ride-sharing services. To register, you must meet driving requirements and carry the proper insurance.

Check this out: Best Online SQL Courses to Take in 2024

#17. Moving Advertisement

This is the easiest side hustle idea for students listed in this article. All you need is to Connect with a company willing to pay you to advertise their name on your car, add the magnet or mesh to your vehicle, and drive around.

#18. Shovel Snow During the Winter

This service is recommendable for college students who live in a wintery climate. Shoveling snow may be a challenging task to do, but it pays well.

Your role is to walk around a neighborhood offering to shovel driveways and walkways. Do not wait for the snowy day; advertise your services in advance.

#19. Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing (SEM) is among the legit side hustles you should consider as a college student.

It is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results.

You can run paid adverts to companies and to get their website to appear on the first page of the search engine.

Check this out: Best Investing Courses Of 2024

#20. Pool Cleaning Service

Pool cleaning is a great side hustle idea that can fetch you easy money if you know how to do it.

You don’t need to worry about how to get clients; check out online classified ads. There you will find existing pool cleaners looking for help with their projects.

#21. Graphic design

Graphic design is the most common legit side hustle that has helped many college students pay for their educational expenses.

Companies and individuals worldwide are ready to offer you anything from $25 to $200 to design business cards and Logos for them.”

You can also sell your services and designs on sites like Etsy, 99 Designs, and Café Press, allowing side-hustling designers to.

See the Top 10 Online Schools for Graphic Design in 2024

#22. Car Wash

If you are sure of providing professional interior car detailing services, you can take Car washing as a side hustle.

You must get a modern Conveyorized automatic car wash to operate a self-service system.

#23. Podcasting

If you find talking much easier, you can take up podcasting as a side hustle. A podcast is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a particular topic or theme. Like with blogging, you choose a Niche for your Podcast and provide quality content.

#24. YouTube Video Blogger

Video blogging is highly lucrative and will make a good side hustle for college students with a video gift. It’s estimated that video bloggers on YouTube get roughly $7.60 per 1,000 views of their videos.

You get paid based on the advertisements displayed on your videos, which means the more people that watch your videos, the more you get paid.

#25. Virtual Assistant

Another great way to earn money as a college student is to become a virtual assistant. You can earn several hundred dollars or more monthly by responding to emails, handling basic writing and organization, research tasks, and more.

#26. Interior Decorator

If you enjoy furnishing or adorning a space with fashionable or beautiful things, you can turn your passion into money by offering interior decoration services. As an interior decorator, you will often paint walls, hangs wallpaper, selects and places furniture, installs window treatments, and adds accessories such as throw rugs.

#27. Become A DJ

DJ business is highly rewarding if you are good at small audio mixing with crossfader and cue functions to blend or transition from one song to another.

You can DJ on weekends and work for parties and events. You start by investing to get a mixer and some speakers, but after that, you can profit.

#28. Laundry Service

Busy and demanding city life is making more people willing to pay laundry businesses to take care of their dirty laundry. As a college student, you can offer to get paid by washing, drying, and ironing clothes for all your friends and neighbors.

Benefits of Side Hustle Ideas For College Students

There are many reasons why college students are encouraged to take up a side hustle. Some of the reason include;

Side Hustles Boost Your Creativity

If you choose a side hustle that you are passionate about, you can create new ideas that will benefit you and in turn earn you a higher pay.

Boost Your Confidence

There is joy when you receive a positive review from your clients; It boost your self-esteem and motivates you to put in more efforts.

Improves your skill set

As a student, a side hustle can help you develop or grow some amazing skills that can help improve your CV; With this, you stand a better chance of getting a great offer after graduation. Additionally, side Hustling Allows You to Reach Your Financial Goals Quicker

Challenges of Side Hustles for College Students

Although side hustle offers a lot of benefits to college students, it also has some major drawbacks. Working a side hustle (or multiple side hustles) could conflict with your academic activities.

For instance, If you’re loaded up with 12, 15, or even 18 credits in a semester, taking on even the smallest part-time gig might get in the way of class, studying, homework, and other important stuff you can’t go without, like eating and sleeping.

Other disadvantages of college side hustle include;

Side hustle poses an unstable income. Unlike a traditional job, a side hustle probably won’t provide you with a stable income.
Missing out on social events.
Neglecting your education.
Spending more than you earn.

FAQs- Side Hustle Ideas for Students

What are the best side hustle ideas for collegestudents?

Here are some great side hustle ideas for college students:

Photography
Freelance Writing
Cover Letter/Resume Service:
Housesitting
Painting Service
Makeup Artist
Food Delivery
Tutoring
Lawn and Gardening Services
Houses or Offices Cleaner
Fitness/Personal Trainer
Review apps and websites
Babysitting/Childcare
Become a translator
Sell old textbooks

How can a student make money on the side?

Here are some ways to make money while you’re still in college

See if you qualify for work-study.
Get a part-time job close to campus.
Take surveys online.
Sell old textbooks.
Sell gently used clothes.
Walk dogs.
Offer tutoring services.
Get a paid internship

Conclusion- Side Hustle Ideas for Students

Earning a full-time college student income can be very challenging, especially with a huge academic workload.

However, taking on a side hustle can make money without interfering with your studies if you plan well. You can also pay your student loan debt, save money, or get extra pocket cash.

Take advantage of the flexible side hustles ideas highlighted in this article and watch yourself graduate debt-free from school. Also, don’t ignore the career benefits that a side gig can bring you in the future.